Sunspots on a rainy day

Everything got a good soaking today - including our poor dog - although I think she appreciated the cooler weather. So in honour of the gloomy weather I threw up this sunny little Sundown Echinacaea. I've only observed the garden through the kitchen window today - so I don't know if there is anything new or exciting. I did notice that a few more lillies were open. Yesterday there were signs of digging in the box on the deck rail and something completely dug up a viola which I tucked back into the dirt, but I don't know how hopeful I feel about its survival.

There are still no sunspots on the face of the sun - however - there is official word that this is completely normal and all the folk theorizing global cooling due to reduced solar activity can give it a rest for a while as Nasa expects the solar maximum to occur sometime in 2012. In the meantime, the sun is going into its third week of spotlessness, however the rate of the solar wind is up today and there is a 30% chance of auroral activity in the next 48 hours - at least if you are a bit further north - Say Ottawa at a minimum. I'm tempted to road trip, but I unfortuanately have other things I need to do... so perhaps some of you northern folk will have to let me know how it went. Here is the forecast from the Alaska University.

Today, I'm officially 1 month from heading north - where I won't need to consider road tripping when I want to see the nothern lights!!! Here is to lots of sunspots and auroral events for me to photograph in the coming years. :D

Jennith

The Day the Lilies Bloomed

So, far only the 2 yellow daylillies on the back corners of the bed have bloomed. I'm sure they are getting a bit more shade than they'd like owing to the crab apple tree's ongoing expansion - however, most of the other plants are finally starting to send up flowering shoots... so hopefully pictures of red, salmon, peach and orange daylilies to follow soon. In the meantime, this one plant is making up for the rest of the bed. Today, I also found the first nasturium flower - orange and yellow hiding under a mop of wobbly foliage and curly stems. The beebalm is slowly unfurling and the next mystery plant has flowers buds - but no flowers yet. I did assume that it was a returning blanket flower, but in fact I now believe it is the dwarf brown-eyed susan. Hopefully, I'll find out soon. In the wildflower section, the seeds have produced a mass of greenery and now a few flower buds. I have no idea what to expect - but some guesses include: buttercup, poppy, asters, chickweed and willowherb - but really - I'll have to wait for the flowers. I'm also still waiting for one last overwintered geranium to flower - because I'm hoping it is one of my favoriteones with white petals and pink edges - the buds show promise that this is indeed true. Also there is finally (several months later than last year) a single flower bud growing on my african violet.

Otherwise, nothing new to report. I'm going to procure a can of colt 45 for the slugs and earwigs and I'll have to do something about the powdery mildew on the columbine. Its another day of bright sun and warm temperatures today and that can bring quick changes.

Hosta La Vista

Here is the first hosta to flower.

Peaches and Cream?

I'm sure that this was supposed to be a "Peaches and Cream" Lily - it (cough) appears to be another colour entirely.

The Asian Lily Openeth

After waiting with much anticipation for these guys to open - here is the first of the second shade of lily to open in the centre bed.

Sundown Echinacaea

These flowers have slowly been filling out and gaining colour. They are one of 3 shades of echinacaea that I'm growing.

Mullein - Jackie Hybrid

This is still one of my favourite additions for the year. In the background you can see two types of "tutti-fruiti" yarrow - one in a soft reddish melon and the other in a crimson.

Blanket FLower

I added just a few more things to the garden yesterday - finally getting the Astilbe, Iris and Hosta planted that I've had for quite some time. (Growl at the dratted clay for making this a considerable chore). I also picked up quite a few different types of blanket flower. I can't remember what this one is called - but I also got a yellow one, a burgandy one, and an "oranges and lemons" one. They added some much needed yellow and red to my pink and purple perennial bed.

Mystery Solved

This is my new mystery plant - for a while I assumed that it was brown-eyed susan - becuase I did actually plant some in the vicinity of this one - however, my new guess is that it is Mondara and I have finally got my beebalm after much trying and ending up with lemon balm. It is definately a mint with its nice square stem and slightly fragrant leaves - and so hopefully the flowers will open soon for final identification.

Daisy Fleabane

This was the once mystery plant - now identified as daisy fleabane - although that may not be quite its exact name.

Astilbe Stuns

Well, here is a much needed burst of colour in the summer for my woodland garden. Its currently in good company with the heuchara and the Jacob's ladder.

Public Enenmy #3 - Random Weeds

My first thought is that these seedlings were Poison Ivy - however upon further investigation it seems likely that this is a Virginia Creeper seedling. It can also cause dermatitis in some people - but it is less evil that poison ivy. The other random weed is of course the dreaded maple seedlings - which I'm still battling at this time.

Here is a fun site called "Is it Poison Ivy?"

My last thought for the day is that its been over 2 weeks since there as been any sunspots - so much for my taking northern lights pictures. For those who are keen - the best guesses by the forcasters for the next month and a half are July 12-13th, and August 8th... otherwise... all is expected to be quiet....

The Killer Bunny about to Bolt

Public Enemy #2 - The Dreaded Killer Bunny

Okay - this fellow, unlike my earwig friends - is hard to hold a grudge against. He is probably more destructive and I don't like the places I've caught him hanging out (although he hasn't seemed to have eaten any daylilies yet) - however... so cute is he - that he melts any anger I bear towards him. He's actually pretty small - so I'm guessing he was born this spring. Hopefully, he keeps my plants out of his stomach or I'll have to let the dog chase him around a bit so he finds some other garden to hang out in.

Fly Boys Discuss Next Mission

Okay - I really have no beef with the flies - at least none known. Just thought they'd fit in well with the earwigs.

Earwig Eats the Daisy

See - I'm not kidding and we won't even discuss how many I found in the center of some roses....

Pests #1 - The Earwig

I think a shocking amount of the insect problem's in my garden can be blamed on the earwig - certainly the roses and the daisies have been under seige. All my life I've defended the lowly earwig to my campers. I tell them not to kill them because they are only ugly - not harmful and to save their murderous urges for things that bite - like mosquitos. Little did I know.... Still at camp really - aside from grossing out even "Nature Girl Jennith" once and a while (nothing like putting on a "clean" t-shirt" only to have 5 or 6 wriggly earwig crawl out... or putting your hand into an innocent looking oven mitt only to feel squiggling at your finger tips) - they aren't known to bite people or as the urban legend insists crawl into peoples ears. I'll post a picture of one munching on one of my daisies shortly.

The Kindergarten's Were Playing with my Geraniums

Well - maybe not quite - but who would of thunk that I'd find splatter paint geraniums!!

New Mystery Plant

Not sure what this is going to be... but its nearly open, so I'll let you know when I do.

Climbing Jacob's Ladder

This is one of the best new plants that I've learned about this year - and now its flowering. The leaves are pretty cool and it has thrived in terms of growth - but the flowers leave me even more impressed.

Sprung from seeds

Everything on the right hand side of the photo (well most of it) was grown from seed. Except the mint and echinacea (returnees from last year), rose bush (long time resident) and bushes in the background that you can't see. On the left hand side is a box of annual that I planted this year and behind are 2 zebra Mallows and a Brown-Eyed Susan that I planted this year. I'm curious as to what exactly is growing fom the wildflower seeds that I sowed. One is near flowering... I'll keep you posted.

Echinacacaea Alone

Echinacaea Entering

3 more echinacaea flowers nearly in bloom.

Roses in Reverse

There is a new single out by David Usher - "Kill the Lights" available on itunes - and there is my unsubtle David Usher plug. Its a pretty decent song :D. Today was a nice family day - and while I didn't get a sunburn, nearly every muscle in my body hurts.

Forestry Practice

I went to battle with the closing canopy in our back yard, hopefully buying our cherry tree a few more years now that it is only shaded on 2 sides rather than 3. I cut down the tree growing through the fence that the city told me to get rid of. It was this particular tree that was shading the cherry tree from the side and the top. Hopefully, the tree will look a bit healthier now that it should get a lot more light. Its made a small gap in the canopy in that spot, but there are 3 small maples on the other side of the fence that will fill it in shortly, and then the cherry tree will be in trouble again. I also trimmed a few small limbs off the lower part of a few of the silver maples, which should give the center perenial bed a touch more light in the morning. I put up some hangers on the maple that had been growing through the fence and hung a geranium basket from it. Its actually worked out not badly. I'm a touch worried that I was outside too long and may have managed to get a nasty sunburn. So far I'm okay, but I was out for quite a few hours. Granted that our backyard is still fairly shady, but I was in the sunny part a fair bit. I'd better get back out - with my big floppy hat and sundscreen and get the flowers watered. I skipped out on the gym, but I think 5 hours of cutting, sawing, climbing, hauling, baling, sweeping and pruning should make up for it - especially if I do a couple of squats and sit ups. I'll come back in a bit with a few more pictures of everything all tidied up.

Saint John's Wort

The coolest thing about these plants is the pin-sized holes in their leaves that you can see when you hold them up to the light. Another plant I'd love in my garden.

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind

Its nice having a camera that blurs the background again.

The only butterfly I caught

Well, the swallowtails, admirals, monarchs and other large butterflies were not cooperating, but this little guy did sit still look enough to get photographed.

Butter and Eggs Please

Wildflowers are so often underestimated - few of the fancy plants match this one for sunniness.

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Daisies on the edge of the escarpment at Mount Nemo. Today was the last day on my pass, so I got up early and took a short hike on the Bruce Trail. I won't be renewing my pass this year because I'm moving so far away, but I guess having the pass run out now will push me to hike in some new places.

Wet on Wet

Actually, this would have been nigh on impossible to paint with watercolours. I'm hoping that I'll actually get mine out someday soon and get back into painting. I kind of miss it.

Ice Mullein

Alright, another case of incorrect colours working out better than the real life version.... :D

Mystery Plant

Here is the unfurling bud of one of the mystery plants. Probably I planted this last year, but I haven't a clue what it is - although I'm starting to suspect that it is some kind of daisy flea bane.

The next round of lilies

This is one of 3 asian lillies I planted last year. This year they've grown back with reinforcements and the one type is finally flowering (there are about 5 open at this point). The other two plants are not far behind and I'm still waiting for the cream and suger lillies to open up although they may have another week to go.

2nd Echinacaea

Here is the second echinacaea flower of this summer - however, many more will follow shortly.

Right on the Button

I can't remember the name of this aster - I think its actually blanket flower.

Roses are wet, the violets are wet too - if you come outside, you'll be wet too

Well, unless you have a big umbrella

And down came the rain and wash the spider out

Well, I definately don't need to water today we got enough rain to make serious puddles... all clear for at least 2 or 3 days.

Feed them, and they will bloom

Its amazing what a single bit of feeding will do overnight to the apparent health of ones garden. My pansies and geraniums are looking less sprawling and several plants burst into flower today. There is a mystery plant near blooming and the first of the lilies from last year are just starting to open. On the concern list - is that something seems to be devouring the centers of the daisies and I haven't had any more of the yellow evening primrose yet.

Evening Primrose

A star in the garden

Mullein With Butterfly Antenae

Still my one of my favourite new plants this year.

Here is the ssame photo as the one two down with the right colours

Devine

I guess I'll be missing out on my favourite grapes this year (again) as they ripen in September - but still one of the coolest and long surviving members of the garden.

Rawng Colours

Umm.. these pansies actually are the usual purple and cream but Picassa doesn't quite know what to do with the raw file.

Suntwins

Growing happily despite my neglect

Down to 640 pixels

Another Columbine

Learning a new instrument

I haven't got it figured out yet, but I'm liking what I see so far!

Now you see it, now you don't

My first and possibly only strawberry is pictured above - however, it disappeared shortly after this picture was taken. I'm not sure who is to blame.. but, I suspect that it was either the rabbit or a squirrel. I guess I'll never know - and next time I see a strawberry I'm going to snap it up.. ready or not.

Geranium and Salvia

I just liked how this one turned out.

The Lazy Daisies Have Finally Arrived

After teasing me for weeks - 3 daisies finally opened yesterday. I've also noticed at least 2 more echinacaea which are starting to flower.

Roses in the Rain

Pink Showy Evening Primose

Here is the cousin of the plant below. I just love the details on this flower. Nicely done nature :D

Yellow Showy Evening Primrose

This must have been one of the ones I planted last summer - and is actually the reason I darted outside to get some pictures as its the first day I've noticed it. Its quite a big flower probably 5 or 6 cm across, even though it looks small in the picture

Unintended Results

I've been waiting impatiently as the daisies tease me - threatening to open for weeks now. This one is really nearly there. However, I snapped the shot quickly and didn't even realize that I'd caught the bug also impatient for the flower to open..

Arrival of the echinacaea

Okay.. I'm sure there will be lots of pictures of these this summer. To the best of my knowledge I have at least 4 different types planted. This one, I believe, is a magnus variety (nice big purple flowers). I also have a white one and a bright red one and several plants which bear the smaller purple flowers. I've been waiting and waiting - so welcome echinacaea to the garden!

The First Echinacaea Flower

Symphony of Colour

Here is the tangled wonderful mess of my perenials.

Rambling Roses

I don't know anything about roses except that the rose hips can be high in vitamin C and that they can also be fussy. I think these aren't far off being wild roses, however they didn't flower at all last year and seem to be intent on making up for it this year. The ones around the side are actually more impressive, but the lighting didn't favour a decent picture.

Bifercated Yellow Lupine

This is the last Lupine to flower - having yellow flowers and kind of a genetic anomaly of a double flower head. I didn't have one that is yellow yet, so its fun that the last one was a unique colour.

Tie-Die Pansy

How cool are these!

Columbine Contrast

Here is another picture from the same plant that I've planted.

Mullin in the Middle

Here is a whole plant in place view of the really cool Mullin I posted a few pictures of the other day. In the background you can see a bit of the catmint and the fading clematis-leaved columbine and even the icelandic poppy. (spot of pink thats really blurry)

Vertigo

This almost makes me feel a bit dizzy, like looking down from a height.

Purple and White Lupine - up close

Here is the shot of its neighbour with bold purple and white flowers.

Up close and personal with Lupine

I hadn't realized until today, just how cool the individual lupine flowers are. They've got neat patterns in darker purple veins and several grade shades of purple all mixed in. I'll be really fun when they branch out. I've also planted 2 packages of lupine seeds in the back of the strawberry bed. The little seedlings are cute, and definately lupine with their many fingered leaves. I'll keep you posted to see if they grown much.

Yarrow

Well, the yarrow is really starting to flower out (well, one of the two) and I'm appreciating the fact that both the flowers and the folliage are different from most of its neighbours.

Yellow Columbine

I got this one from the super on sale table and its taken to producing lovely yellow flowers... so here is the columbine picture of the day. The others columbine still have flowers, but they are waning. Although, some of the wild ones haven't flowered yet. I guess I'll have to wait and see if they do.

Gaura

Here is abetter shot of the white Guara - its been flowering for the last week and a bit, but I'm still waiting for the pink one to start. I'm a bit disappoint, I was hoping for something more like fireweed. Still, I'll just keep looking and then plant some later. You really can't been some native plants.

Salvia and Bricknell's Geranium

Given that I really don't know that much yet - I got lucky with some colour combinations and I'd definately reccomend this Geranium to other folk. Its being flowering consistantly for the last month and the colour is stunning with just about anything.

Iceland Poppy

The iceland poppy has been putting on a nice show of pink and yellow flowers for the last week or so.

Another kind of Lamium looking sharp

Of all the ground cover I've planted, I think these ones have proved the nices with their light and interesting foliage and their bright flowers. The ajuga is spreading, but there aren't many flowers and the periwinkle is okay - but not really growing much and the bunch berries really haven't grown at all. But these ones, have really (especially in the last few days) made a lot of headway.

Lamina Enlarges

These lovely groundcover plants are gaining in size and slowly coming together to form a nice little patch of flowers.

Lily Beetle on Lunch

My little red lily-munching friend was relocated after his photo shoot, actually, he fell to the ground and will probably get back to eating my plant by later today, but I didn't feel too much like hunting for him after he made such a good model.

Fortunately, the lily beetles have done very little damage this year, so I'm keeping an eye on them, but I'm not super worried.

A Kind of Luppy View

Here is the other one that didn't work out yesterday

This is the one that didn't post yesterday

Today's Columbine Picture

Columbine from above

Columbine Design

The autofocus on my camera was a bit unpredictable this morning... but it worked for this shot.

More Columbine

Grown from Seed - Wild Columbine

Acutally, I'm not 100 percent sure its the wild, wild colubine, but it looks much like it. This plant grew from seeds I planted last July - which survived a good deal of neglect, but came back in their little pots this spring much to my surprise and appreciation. I think I have a total of 12 columbing plants in my garden - which is more than the echineaea which number one 8. But I suspect they'll catch up by the end of the summer.

Wild Columbine with the Orange Lillies

It wasn't quite this dark when I took the picture, but I made a vast effort to finish my planting tonight... so in went 2 hostas, 2 peonys, 8 Lupine and 2 pansies. Leaving 1 hosta, 1 iris, 2 brown eyed susan's, and some assorted annuals left to go. I'll have to take new pictures of the Lupine tomorrown, now that they are planted, because the ones I took tonight were blurry.

Bearded Irises with out eyeballs

I apologize since I'm incredibly dehydrated and probably should do something about it before I blog any more sillyness.

A spray of Columbine

I'm sure everyone is sick of pictures of columbine, but I just love photographing it.

Columbine collage

Well - here is the last post for today. These are the other columbine that I bought after it finished flowering last year. It turned out to be of the regular variety and a pale blue colour. I had some trouble with powdery mildew and the leaves of both my columbine, but they don't seem at all bothered about it this year.

Creeping Geranium

Here is a close cousin to the flower below. This one is a bit more ground hugging and bear white flowers, but has plenty of charms as well.

Johnson's Blue Geranium's

Now you might be thinking that these don't look at all like geranium's - but they are, and they ain't. Their genus is indeed Geranium - unlike the zonal geraniums that you are likely familiar with (don't worry there is still some room for them in the garden later), however, I do not believe that these are related to zonal or ivy leafed geraniums, which are from South African - where they grown all year long into shrubs. These are most closely related to bricknell's cranesbill (and are often called crane's bill geraniums.) Why are they great? They do just fine in the shade, flower for a long period, grow back bigger and better every year and are just plain pretty.

Nuff said.

This is the same one from yesterday, now happily planted

So, happily planted in its bed, the columbine is still looking great.

Yellow Lily

Here is the third colour to bloom (and there are 2 of them) - that leaves one mystery and one orange one that hasn't quite opened up yet.

Lily of the Valley or at least of my front yard

After nearly giving up hop on this critter - its gone into lily-of-the-valley mode and is now doing just fine, even if it is threatening the bleeding heart. I'll just have to keep an eye on them and maybe transplant if it gets too crowded. This was my patrol emblem when I was patrol leader for Girl Guides.

Starry Night Pansy

This "stellar" specimin of pansy has helped me to add a bit of yellow in all the places I've needed it. I don't think it blooms as long as some other pansies, but hey... you can't win them all, hopefully some of the others will step it up later. I'm pretty much on thesis duty from now until the end of June - so - I probably won't have any pictures that weren't taken in my own yard and even those maybe kind of few and far between. So, my apologies in advance. I accidently cut myself a month short of time when I took this job, so I'm going hyper speed. Things are well on their way at any rate. I have a few things to plant, but I'll saved them for a few timed breaks here and there. Last night I managed to get one of the two annual beds done, all the plants for the shade garden in the front planted (hopefully not too late for some), all the tomatos in and a few more border plants in the sunny perrenial bed. So, my next move is to get the rest of the hostas in and the other annual bed. I think I'm going to delegate a bit of the digging to my strapping young brother. So far I've hit it lucky with the asian lilies - two new ones have started to flower and they were different colours than the ones that have already opened - so I have one pink, one dark orange, one light orange and one yellow. Not bad... it'll be interesting to see what the last two are. Some of the plants in the woodland garden are starting to get a bit bigger and the hostas have definately put on a growth spurt this week. The yarrow flowers are starting to form and one of the echinacea from last year has its first flowering shoot formed. The other exciting gardening news is that the last hosta - the one I bought for full price and that I thought had died - has shown its head. There are two small hosta like shoots pushing up in its place. I'm crossing my fingers, it was a really nice one, but it suffered from excess attention from the evil squirrels of doom and destruction. I'm still trying to figure out how to discourage them. I like squirrels, but they always dig up the plants that I love the most. Last year they utterly destroyed a hanging basket of fan flower. This year I've found one digging about in the woodland garden (grrr). Of course, it picked a favourite struggling plant to dig right up - my one trillium. It wasn't expensive, but I was excited about having one. I tucked it back in the ground and it seems no worse than it was before, but I'm ticked. I'm going try hanging nylon stockings full of dog hair in key locations and I might try adding a bit of bone meal.

Okay.. back to thesissing.

JP

Johnson's Blue Geranium

This is one I planted last year and its come back in quite big. This is the first flower I've seen on it - but I'm glad to have some in this shade of purple.

Lithodora enLIGHTened

Well, some days you just get lucky with lighting. I was lying on the ground taking a picture of the nearer flowers on this plant when I noticed that the one on the other side was well - as seen above. :D

Roses Are Red, Poppies are Hairy

This is the first poppy I've ever grown - I think it is an arctic poppy or and icelandic poppy - Perhaps it is just a northern poppy, trying to stay warm.

Lily Up Close

I've been considering going up to a DSLR in the next few months. However, one of the things I'm finding is that its really hard to find one that has a lens that can do both zoom and macro as well as mine can. My alternative is to get a zoom lens and eventually get a macro lens. But I think that just means that I might have a fancy camera and still use my kodak. Still - it took me 7 years to pick out my last camera - so I guess it isn't too early to start thinking about it.

Red Lily

I don't think the picture does it justice - but the red is a really rich shade.

Lillicious

Sigh - I can't wait for the day lillies to get started - but these will hopefully tide me over for a bit.

Asian Lily, Columbine, Pansy Border

Here is the newest bed in the garden decked out with Asian Lilies, Columbine and Pansies. I'm going to fill in the front, possibly with some more pansies or maybe with some annuals (mimulas? Bogonia? Snap Dragons? Million Bells). I still don't know what colour 3 of the six are. One that isn't open yet will be a light orange and I think there is a second dark red one. I perhaps should figure out a way to deal with the spring heavy blooming in this bed, but even the foliage will be nice when the flowers are done. The Asian Lilies that I planted last year are coming in surprising strong considering that I had to battle the lily beetles last summer. I've already had to pick of 5 of them today.

Clematis Flowered Columbine

This one surprised me by having clematis-like flowers. Its still pretty, but I have to admit that I was really hoping for the columbine ones.

Columbine Choas

Today was a beautiful perfect day - it was warm, sunny, breezy and somehow I lucked out and was put on shadehouse duty organizing and facing flats. (which meant I spent the afternoon outside with plants and people rather than inside with cash registers and debit machines. Not that I mind being a cashier, but it would have been a shame to be inside today.

This one is mine - not planted yet. Its a hybrid columbine. Columbine have exquisite flowers, but they have a short blooming period. I probably have too many of them, 9 all told. But six are the wild variety that I grew from seed last summer. I'm excited to see them bloom in the next week or so. This is giant hybrid. I have two others I bought after they flowered last year and I was surprised to discover that one of them was a clematis flowered columbing. The other, is a pale purple columbine with flowers much like the one above.

I also managed to plant 3 hostas, 2 mallows and get all my watering done. I've got a plan for the remaining 3 hostas, but I'm going to have to think about what to do with the Peonys. Saturday I hope to plant the bulk of my annuals in the front. I'm doing snap dragon's and Bogonias. Next year - the garden won't get dealt with until mid June - but hopefully all it'll need is a few annuals, some topping up of soil and a few new additions.

One of the things I noticed today, working at the greenhouse, is that its very rare (in spite of numerous carts containing small children and infants in carriers) to hear babies cry or people being upset in general. Its a very soothing workplace. I think when I retire, I might just work a bit at a greenhouse. Maybe specializing in woodland perrenials or something. :D Sometimes parents let their kids buy plants with their own money - african violets and gerber daisies are popular, although today I had a child who was looking for something yellow - whom I advised to try the Brown-Eyed Susan's. Oh yeah... and another lady with a young boy was looking for something tall, purple and sun-loving. I asked her if she was familiar with snapdragon's (one of my favourites) - when she said she wasn't I quickly took her over to a bench of them in shades from red-velvet to bubblegum pink - including several shades of purple. She was duly inpressed (because really snapdragons can sell themselves on their looks alone. But I when I showed her son the dragon's mouths (you can pry open the mouths of snap dragon's to show a very dragon-like mouth) - they were done deal. :D and the "WOW!" from the little boy made my day. Another couple, when I noted that they'd enjoy their plants all summer told me how they were actually buying them for their neighbour who could no longer garden the way she used to and that this was a gift for her - sometimes people in the world are truely wonderful and then she agreed that they were over visiting often and would indeed enjoy them all summer. :D Oddly, this has been one of the most fulfilling jobs I've ever had. Gardening is just good for everyone's soul or perhaps the folk who frequent real greenhouses - not ones attached to their grocery store - are the kind of people who find pleasure in nuturing and caring for others as well as plants and we are just lucky to have cooler than average customers.

Anywho - That's a tonne of writing for me. I'm going to throw up a few more pictures and then I'm going to be a busy bee and get a tonne of stuff done.